Swimming suit and method of making the same



Aug. 7, 1934. BERGH 1,969,349

SWIMMING SUIT AND METHOD OF MAKING THE SAME FiledApril 2, 1930 v A TTORNEY.

Patented Kug. 7, 1934 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE Philip Bergh, Portland, llllsnor to Jantaen Knitting Mills, Portland, 0118.

Application April 2, 1930, Serial No. 440,898

3 Claims. (01. 3-67) The invention relates to improvements in methods of making swimming suits, the primary object of the invention being to provide an improved method of making swimming suits which I is highly efiicient in use and capable of economical production of swimming suits.

Other objects will appear hereinafter.

The invention consists in the method of procedure hereinafter described and claimed.

The invention will be bestunderstood by reference to the accompanying drawing forming a part of this specifical-ton, and in which Fig. 1 is a perspective view of the end portion of a section of tube of knitted fabric employed in making the suits;

Fig. 2 a view of a blank for forming a swimming suit body embodying the invention shown in the condition in which it is first formed;

Fig. 3 a rear view of saidblank folded as for actual use;

Fig. 4 a rear view of a completed suit; and

Fig. 5 a front view of the same.

In making the suit bodies, a tube 12 of knitted fabric and indefinite length is provided having a diameter equaling the desired diameter of the lower skirt portion of the swimming suit body to ,be formed. The material thus provided is cut by means of a suitable pattern along the broken lines 13. As shown, this cutting provides a body member having a lower unbroken skirt portion adapted to serve as such for forming the skirt portion of the swimming suit body. A central strip of material is thereby also removed from both laps or sides of the tube, forming central gaps 14. The upper edge of the tube is also trimmed as shown to form at one side two overlying identical front shoulder strap portions 15 and at the other side two identical rear shoulder strap portions 16, the portions 15 being provided with oblique ends 1'1 and the portions 16 with oblique ends 18. In so cutting the material, the patterns for such cutting may be arranged as in the dotted lines in Fig. 1 in reverse, dovetailed or overlapped relation so as to obtain the desired blanks with a minimum of wasteage and therefore a-minimum consumption of material.

In finishing the body the same is refolded on the central broken line indicated in Fig. 2 to bring the edges of the gaps 14 together and said edges are then joined by seams 19 at the opposite sides of the upper or thorax portion of the suit body as shown in Figs. 4 and 5. Likewise, the shoulder strap portions 15 and 16 are joined together by oblique seams 20 as shown and the raw edges of the material protected by suitable the upper portion thereof, and cutting the upper hems andseams in the usual manner, thus completing the body portion of the suit.

In this way a swimming suitlbody is provided with a suitable and proper'form-fitting appearance having short seams located at opposite sides 5. or edges thereof. Obviously any reduction in the length of the seams results in a reduction in the amount of sewing necessary. It is also to be noted that the suit body is thus formed in a single piece with all the parts thereof in proper assembled relation, thereby greatly facilitating the completion of the said body. By arranging the cutting of the material in opposite overlapping or dovetailing relation, as indicated by the broken lines in Fig. 1, the suit bodies may be formed with very little wastage of material and therefore from a minimum of material. By making the skirt of the suit body from the unbroken portion of the tube, a saving of the material necessary in forming seams is effected as well as improving the appearance and durability of the garment.

Obviously, if there should be such variation in the size of the tube of'material as to render the same materially wider than the desired size of the skirt, this excess material may be removed a. by cutting the same at each side, which procedure, of course, would involve the formation of seams where such excess material is removed.

The swimming suit body thus provided may be equipped with trunks 2a of any usual or desired design or construction.

While I have illustrated and described the preferred form of construction and method of procedure for carrying the invention into effect, these are capable of variation and modification without departing from the spirit of the invention. I, therefore, do not wish to be limited to the precise details disclosed, but desire to avail myself of such variations and modifications as fall within the scope of the appended claims.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. The method of making swimming suit bodies which consists in providing a tube of proper length and material and of a diameter edualing the desired diameter of the lower portion of the body; folding said tube fiat, removing strips ohthe material from the central portions of both laps of portion thereof to form identical front portions of shoulder straps at one side and identical rear portions of shoulder straps at the other side; and closing the gaps'thus made by securing together the opposite sides thereof to contract said upper 11.

portions and joining the corresponding front and rear portions of said shoulder straps.

2. The method of making swimming suit bodies which consists in providing a tube of proper length I and material and of a diameter equaling the desired diameter of the lower portion of the body;

folding said tube fiat, removing strips of the material from the central portions of both laps of the upper portion thereof, and cutting the upper portion thereof to form identical front portions of shoulder straps at one side and identical rear portions of shoulder strapsat the other side; and

closing the gaps thus made by securing together the opposite sides thereof to contract said upper portions and joining the corresponding front and rear portions of said shoulder straps, the upper edges of said shoulder strap portions being cut obliquely and joined together by oblique seams. v

3. The method of making swimming suit bodies which consists in providing a tube of proper length and material; folding said tube flat to superpose one full side thereof over the other and cutting the upper portion thereof to form identical front portions of shoulder straps at one side having oblique ends and identical rear portions of shoulder straps at the other side having corresponding oblique ends, refolding said .tube to bring each of said front shoulder strap portions into to form a swimming suit body.

PHILIP BERGH. 

